Mortraust
The Mortraust were a clan of Arathi vampyr, comprised of vampyr turned by Mateus vi Mortraust. The vast majority of the Mortraust vampyr were slain by forces of the Empire of Arathor, with Mateus counted among the deceased. History Creation The Mortraust originally began when Mateus vi Mortraust observed his vampyr daughter, Elzebe ve Mortraust, who had become lonely and withdrawn due to her isolation from humanity following her turning. Elzebe expressed a want for people, despite the fact that it was in her nature to prey on humanity rather than mingle with it. The only people either one of them could safely mingle with were other vampyr, and to Mateus' knowledge vampyr in the world were few and far between. Elzebe's loneliness inspired Mateus to envision a goal in which he would satisfy the loneliness both he and his daughter felt by creating their own people, a clan of vampyr. Though the idea was unprecedented and dangerous, Mateus committed to his goal regardless, determined to give Elzebe the gift of company. He began to kidnap people, passing on his affliction to his victims. Many died, but those who survived being given his blood emerged as vampyr that built the foundations of the Mortraust Clan. The Mortraust Clan existed for an indeterminate period of time in which they inhabited the Trollward, a fortress constructed to defend against the assault of trolls that had fallen in previous battles. From this fortress they managed to survive not by preying on humanity, but by keeping a stable of thralls that were rationed to keep the Mortraust sated. Though kidnappings never went unnoticed, the Mortraust were essentially prevented from preying on humanity and drawing the Empire's attention. As a precaution, the Mortraust constructed necromantic tombs within the human lands. These tombs were designed to house an undead individual by essentially stripping them of the necromantic magics that preserved their body, effectively killing them. While the body was preserved, the magics were stored within the tomb, able to permit the host to awaken in the future. The purpose of the tomb was to provide the Mortraust with ways to outlast a crisis, such as a famine or a human assault that could not be thwarted, though at the cost of only able to be opened from the outside by the blood of vampyr. Culling the Population Despite this, many vampyr were dissatisfied. Many grew to resent that they were confined from living off cattle, rather than hunting as true predators upon the living. Some grew reckless in their desire to hunt, feeding on the living out in the world and, ultimately, keeping the citizens wary of their presence. Mateus began to tighten his control upon his neophytes, knowing that indulging the baser desire to feed off prey would inevitably expose their secret society. One of Mateus' closest friends, Dreyes vi Mortraust, came to this conclusion as well, but for different ends. One of only a few to have been a vampyr before ever meeting Mateus, Dreyes was content with his solitude, believing it allowed him to exist on his own terms, without risk of being exposed by the folly of lesser vampyr. In his mind, the creation of a society of vampyr would only lead to inevitable exposure, which would draw the unconditional hatred of humanity, followed by an immediate hunting of their kind. He believed it to be impossible for a functioning vampyr society to ever exist. Over time, Dreyes was proven right. Reckless feedings drew unwanted attention, accidental turnings led to a constant expansion of their ranks, and hunger and ambition created a constant struggle for power within Mateus' inner court. Infighting became a regular occurrence among the upper ranks while the lesser vampyr drew humanity's ire. Eventually, Dreyes took action. Dreyes, a master of vampiric compulsion, used his ability on Mateus' daughter, Elzebe, to convince her to carry out a massacre on humanity that would shine a light on the hidden vampyr menace. The resultant bloodbath ended in Elzebe's violent death, as well as a revelation among humans that vampyr had been preying on them and were a threat that could not be ignored. By forcing Elzebe to essentially declare war on humanity, the Empire retaliated in a swift and gruesome campaign that would be known as the Mortraust Hunt. Mateus learned of Elzebe's death and, in his rage, vowed to achieve revenge, sending him into a violent bloodlust. Dreyes had thrown Elzebe into human society for this reason, hoping to agitate the elder vampyr and provoke him into a war that would end in his death. However, Mateus was powerful enough to escape death, though he could not escape injury. Without Dreyes' awareness, Mateus was brought to one of the tombs in what is now the Kingdom of Alterac, where he was interred to sleep and outlast the impending end of the Mortraust. The Mortraust Hunt ended with the annihilation of these vampyr, with Dreyes surviving to live on beneath humanity's nose, as he had desired. The last Mortraust to survive, Dreyes would continue to live as a lone vampyr for millennia to come. Present Day The Mortraust faded into obscurity, only recounted in apocryphal texts that were lost to time. Mateus' name was forgotten, known only to humanity as "Arbitian", the alias he had once worn to strip himself of his humanity. Arbitian was cast as a fictitious monster, and vampyr returned to being nothing more than a myth. At some point, information of the Mortraust was recorded by Nerubians, as knowledge regarding the Mortraust's existence is stored within the Library of Sitat'izar. Characteristics As vampyr, the Mortraust largely retain the characteristics they had in life, with certain physiological changes such as pointed ears, fangs, and the pale appearance of most undead. Though vampyr are capable of a wide variety of eye colors, it was believed that any vampyr possessing Mortraust "blood" would ultimately come to possess red eyes, perhaps mirroring their progenitor Mateus. Coming from all walks of life, there was never an established standard for what was worn among the clan, though there was a certain aristocracy among those who possessed the blood of Mateus, reflected by their distinctly noble garments. The only culture the Mortraust seemed to be possess was centered around those who possessed the blood of Mateus vi Mortraust. It was considered a sign of great status among vampyr to be gifted the blood of Mateus, with many changing their name to reflect what they perceived as a complete ascension to their lord's side. Male and female vampyr had different naming conventions in adopting Mortraust's name, with men adopting "vi Mortraust" while women would adopt "ve Mortraust". Category:Houses, Clans and Tribes Category:Vampyr Category:Mortraust